


sixty days

by rosethrn



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Oops, this is actual trash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 05:30:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11914215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosethrn/pseuds/rosethrn
Summary: canon divergence;no one gets over loss in a day; in fact, it takes gilbert blythe sixty days & a lot of help from one anne shirley.





	sixty days

The first time Anne saw Gilbert after his father's funeral was six days later. As much as she refused to admit it aloud that she, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, was worried about Gilbert Blythe, she couldn't stop thinking about him all alone in that empty house. She had heard Diana and the girls talking about how Gilbert was now the only one left of his family, to which Ruby swooned and said mournfully, "This must be absolutely killing him!" Anne also knew that while Gilbert was popular with both the boys and the girls at school, none of his friends were the type to stay by his side and make sure he was all right. Anne had already resolved that Gilbert was not her friend - after all, it was easier that way. But maybe she could make an exception, because if it was her she would surely want someone to talk to in such a dark time. So she wrapped herself up in a coat and whisked out the door, telling Marilla she was off to see Diana - which was partly true, since she intended on her final destination being the Barry's house. Gilbert Blythe was merely a stop along the way.

She marched through the woods, snow crunching under her shoes. Anne just loved the pristine beauty of fresh snow. A layer of untouched powder had dusted over the forest that morning, and Anne reveled in the way the sun was shining down on it through the trees. So lost in her imagination, she almost forgot where she was headed until she was face to face with Gilbert's front door. She took a deep breath of the cold winter air and knocked twice on the door.

Anne's heart twinged with regret as she imagined all the ways this could go south. What if he didn't want company? What if all he wanted was to be left alone, and here Anne was, disrupting his only wish? 

The door swung open after just long enough for Anne's heart to be pounding with anticipation. Gilbert appeared before her, his hazel eyes glassy and just slightly bloodshot. "Anne," he said with a note of surprise. To Anne's relief, he didn't seem annoyed; if he was, he didn't show it. He stepped back and opened the door wider. "Come on in."

Anne gave a curt nod and pondered what should come next. What did you say to someone who had just lost their only remaining family? Who had lost all that they know?

"I'll make tea," Gilbert said hastily and hurried to the kitchen, leaving Anne to wonder how he was upholding such good house manners when they both knew that this was the hardest time of his life. She suddenly felt a remorseful pang for allowing Gilbert to take care of her when she should be the one helping him.

Gilbert returned with two mugs but he left his untouched, instead turning his questioning eyes to Anne. 

"I wanted to stop by, and - and just make sure you were all right," Anne explained, her eyes drifting to the table by the door which was full of baked goods and other treats that Anne assumed had been brought by. She was foolish to think that she was the only one concerned for Gilbert. 

Gilbert followed her gaze and smiled weakly. "Yeah, uh, Ruby and Josie stopped by with most of that this morning."

"Quite a haul," Anne said a little nervously, "I'm sorry I haven't anything to add."

Gilbert's face softened with realization. "Oh - no, of course - I'm just glad you came, Anne. I've missed seeing you at school." He paused, and as if realizing what he had just said, added, "I wouldn't want to fall behind and just let you beat me."

Anne gave a faint chuckle and looked down at her dress. "I suppose I couldn't let that happen either. I want to win fair and square."

"So, tell me what I've missed," Gilbert asked, and Anne launched into her account of the last six days, not mentioning how horribly boring they'd been without Gilbert at school. She learned very quickly that Gilbert is a good listener, something she hadn't really found in a person other than Matthew. She also noticed that Gilbert's face seemed lighter, like somehow in all of Anne's ramblings, he'd managed to forget the sorrow and grief of the last few days, even for just a short while - which made Anne inexplicably happy. 

As Anne finally quieted again, she looked up and met Gilbert's calculating gaze, the faint traces of a smile playing on his face. "Well, I... I shouldn't keep Diana waiting."

"Right," Gilbert answered quietly, standing up and opening the door for Anne. 

Anne brushed past Gilbert, ignoring the electric feeling in her arm where it made contact with his. She turned and gave him a tight smile. "I'll see you soon, okay? Take care of yourself for me." 

Gilbert nodded wordlessly and Anne spun around, a bit surprised that she let that last part slip out.

*

As it turned out, "soon" became a nearly every day sort of arrangement. Anne found herself at Gilbert's a lot of days after school. Her excuse to Gilbert was that his house was on her way home anyway, which in fact, it wasn't. Anne had no intention of letting Gilbert find out that she went well out of her way to see him. Her alibi to Marilla was that she was helping Gilbert catch up with school, which was again not entirely untrue. She would tell Gilbert all about what happened that day and he would listen. Her endless talking was sort of amusing to him and helped keep his mind occupied. 

Still, Gilbert had bad days, and those were the days when he wondered if Anne would continue to stay by his side. Once she opened the door to find him draped across the couch, fast asleep, his cheeks still stained with angry tears. It was then that Anne decided that Gilbert's recovery was her top priority. And as much as she denied it to Diana, she cared more than anyone. 

On a sunny and surprisingly warm day, Anne managed to coax Gilbert into going for a walk. He rarely left the house and Anne's visits had become his only window to the world outside. Gilbert didn't much mind that, and he preferred Anne's version of Avonlea's events to actually going out and being a part of them. But Anne was insistent that Gilbert continue to take steps towards his old life. Although he didn't tell Anne, Gilbert was doubtful that he'd ever feel quite the same again. 

But he couldn't help but feel grateful to Anne for forcing him out the door when they were sitting together under a tree in his family's orchard. The sun filtered through the leaves and dappled their faces with golden, and they'd stare at each other in that way that made them feel funny inside wondering if it was possible for a moment to be so perfect. 

When he had grown tired of Anne's unusual but comfortable silence, Gilbert asked something that almost no one knew about Anne. "Did you know your parents?"

Anne didn't meet his gaze. She was plucking buttercups out of the ground and weaving them into her braids. "I guess not. I know their names." 

She looked up at Gilbert who was watching attentively. 

"Walter and Bertha. I quite like those names." Anne told Gilbert all she knew about her parents, but her mind wandered as she spoke. With her loquacity, she was also prone to speaking without really even thinking about it. So as she talked, she was less focused on her words and more focused on staring at Gilbert and wondering if his eyes had always been so green. They struck her as beautiful - in the same way the White Way of Delight and the Lake of Shining Waters were beautiful - a way that sped up her heart and filled her with excitement. 

Gilbert reached out and adjusted one of the flowers in her braid. His hand dropped immediately with embarrassment, and Anne couldn't help but smile. 

*

Anne convinced Gilbert to return to school after nearly a month. He couldn't argue with her that he missed it. Anne came by his house in the morning, just to make sure he was coming, to which he playfully shoved her out the door and told her to quit worrying, and that he'd catch up with her once they got to school. 

Anne hurried back to the path, hoping her detour didn't make her late for school, nervous anticipation filling her from head to toe. Gilbert, back at school. This was how things were supposed to be. Finally things were going well.

"Look who it is! Woof woof!" someone yelled behind her. Anne didn't have to turn to know who it was. 

Billy Andrews pushed her aside as he walked past, spinning around so he was face to face with Anne, who was still as a statue. 

"What's wrong, Fido? Where's your prince to come and save you now?" He laughed coldly. "I can't believe you thought you could get away with coming to school here. Making friends with people who are so clearly above you. You're just a filthy orphan. You had no right to say those things about my sister."

"I'm sorry," Anne choked out bitterly. "It was a long time ago."

Billy shoved her down and Anne landed on her back with a thud. 

Billy advanced on her, his black eyes angry. "You - ow!"

"I told you, don't touch her."

Anne lifted her head to see Billy staggering backward, and closed her eyes tightly as she heard another loud punch. That time, it sent Billy to the ground. Anne stumbled as she tried to get footing, frightened by the fire in Gilbert's dark eyes as he turned around. She reached a hand forward and Gilbert backed away, his face still dark.

"Stay away, Shirley!" he growled, storming past her back in the direction of his house.

"Gilbert! Hey!" she called after him in shock.

*

She didn't see Gilbert again for a while. She was still confused about why Gilbert had lashed out at her, but she had convinced herself sullenly that the boy no longer wanted anything to do with her. Diana noticed first that something was wrong, but she couldn't detect where Anne's sudden behavior change had come from. When she asked about it Anne just mumbled back a new excuse every time. 

She walked home with Anne and it hit her when they passed the spot that they usually diverge. Anne had stopped visiting Gilbert. But why? She didn't tell Diana much about it, claiming that she didn't particularly enjoy having to help Gilbert keep up in school, but Diana knew her best friend better than that. It was the only explanation for Anne's behavior anyway. 

When it had been nearly four weeks of this, Diana couldn't take it anymore. They were fetching their milk bottles from the stream and she blurted out, "I think you should go see Gilbert."

Anne was taken aback. "What? Why would I want to see Gilbert Blythe?" she said defensively. "It's a wonder that Ruby can like a boy like that."

She brushed past Diana, who turned around, unconvinced. She wasn't sure what sort of havoc it would raise with the girls if she pushed Anne to pursue Gilbert, Ruby having claimed him years ago, but Anne's happiness was much more important to her. 

"He's got to come back to school someday. Plus some of the students are worried about him. It's been almost two months."

"Sixty days," Anne muttered with irritation. 

"Anne, he'll listen to you. He's different with you." 

Anne turned to face Diana. "Don't you get it? Gilbert Blythe hates me. And so I hate him too."

And despite her "hatred" for Gilbert Blythe, when Diana slowed down on their walk home that afternoon, prompting Anne to leave, Anne did, setting off towards Gilbert's house like she had done so many times before. She just wanted it over with. Gilbert could tell her how he wanted her gone and she could stop worrying about it all. Because of course, she still worried about him.

She reached the front door and knocked meekly. 

After several moments, it opened and Gilbert was before her. Anne found her eyes wandering to his hand, which was bandaged at the knuckles. 

"I'm sorry," he said quickly.

"No, I am," Anne retorted, her anger fading all at once. 

"Fine, we're both sorry. There." Gilbert said, wasting no time in pulling Anne to his chest. Shocked in just about the best way possible, Anne pulled him close. His arms were big and warm and nothing else really mattered to either of them at that moment. 

"Please never do that again," Anne whispered.

"I won't."


End file.
